Once your dream team is on board, in place, and working hard to meet your company’s first goals, everything will likely be new, exciting, and fun for the first few months.

But what happens when you encounter a problem? Or when things you expected to go smoothly don’t? Or when it’s clear that the team is tired and stressed and in desperate need of inspiration?

As the business leader, it’s likely you’ll be feeling the stress and strain, too. But, since you’re the leader, the rest of your staff will be looking to you to set the tone of the office, to lift everyone’s spirits, and to provide a little bit of inspiration. If you’re not sure how to do that, take a little bit of inspiration for yourself from us.

 

Ask Team Members What They Need

Sometimes the best way to inspire yourself is to get out of your own head. Check in with your employees about what it is they need to feel motivated and refreshed, and what they think you can do better as a leader. Listen well and take their answers into consideration when deciding how to proceed.

 

Don’t Always Focus on Problems

There are times when the best way to inspire people or propel them to strive harder is to tell them how they’re disappointing you or talking openly about the problems the company is facing. While transparency is important, being needlessly critical or hard on your staff members might leave them feeling hopeless and uninspired instead of motivated and upbeat. Even if you need to address a problem or lacklustre performance, try to leave the conversation on a positive note that will have everyone coming together to work toward a common goal.

 

Be authentic

If you’re the type of person who is constantly upbeat and great at delivering loftily inspiring messages to your team even when things are going off the rails, they may begin to think that you’re full of it. On those days when you’re feeling tired or uninspired yourself, it’s okay to say that. In fact, it may resonate more with your team when you’re real and honest. When they know that everyone is feeling the same way and that you all need to come together in order to move forward, that in and of itself can be a source of inspiration.

 

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Whether it’s implementing a casual morning meeting where everyone chats over coffee before starting work for the day, letting employees take turns creating playlists for the office to jam to, taking everyone out to lunch, or telling everyone to go home early on Friday, take some steps to ensure that your team doesn’t dread coming to work every day. If these innovations become ho-hum, don’t be afraid change it up – variety is the spice of life, after all.